The Rudolf Steiner Archive

164

To Rudolf Steiner in Dornach, probably
Wednesday, November 21, 1923, from Berlin ¹⁵

The first pages of the letter are missing.

... without contact with people. Of course they already have their rehearsals for the Christmas plays and are already busy with that. But it will hardly be possible again. I am sorry for every day that I am not close to you. But on the other hand, you are very present here, since we lived together here. And so I can relive it again in retrospect before I leave here. 21 ¹⁶

It has been years since we worked here.

It is very good for Waller that she is not here. She wouldn't have the strength to clear out, and otherwise there wouldn't be anything to do at first. The Walthers have only been here for a week; they were always on lecture tours until then. Waus ¹⁷ is cooking and we are eating at her place downstairs.

The trillion-dollar economy is outrageous, and ¹⁸ simply cannot continue. It has absolutely grown over [her] head.

I hope to hear soon that your cough is not persistent and that Waller is nice and together.

Warmest regards, Marie

• 15. This is probably the letter referred to in nos. 165 and 169.
• 16. Marie Steiner was in Berlin until December 17 to prepare the relocation of the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House to Dornach and to dissolve her Berlin household. Due to inflation, the situation had become very difficult and Johanna Mücke was despairing. In September, Rudolf Steiner had taken the first steps to initiate the relocation of the publishing house. After the conference in The Hague (November 13-18), Marie Steiner traveled directly to Berlin, accompanied by Elisabeth Vreede. 16
• 17. Clara Walther, née Selling, formerly also called Wiesel.
• 18. Johanna Mücke, the managing director of the publishing house.

165

To Rudolf Steiner in Dornach
Friday, November 23, 1923, from Berlin

Friday

Dear E,

Unfortunately, my letter was delayed for a day because Muck declared that no letter could be sent on Penance Day. ¹⁹ Yesterday I was in the underworld from 3 o'clock in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon and only then was I able to get myself together enough to ensure that the letter was sent. In the evening I had office hours. Miss Vreede is leaving in two hours and I want to give her this letter. She is clearing out and bringing some things to Dornach, and is depositing a suitcase in Stuttgart. I received Waller's telegram today, unfortunately without any news from you; so I just have to hope that you are doing well. I find the price for the move exorbitant, especially since the move of the books is not included. I would still like to try an eight-meter-long wagon – and send the other wagon with furniture for Stuttgart. But I don't want to make up my mind today. Dr. Unger is giving a lecture here on November 30th and they are having a meeting on December 1st. Perhaps it would be best for me to travel to Stuttgart with Dr. Unger then, because I still have to see my house. ²⁰ I am not quite sure whether I should write Wachsmuth ²¹ abtelegraphieren soll. I tell myself that if he comes, it could at most serve if he were to direct the move instead of us later. Otherwise he can hardly help me with anything. The main thing was to have been here after all, and to let the things that are happening draw near to me. - If I were to delay for another week, Dziu.²² perhaps her men to appear again for eurythmy clothing ^{23 23It was the first attempt to present eurythmy through gentlemen. It's a shame to miss so many lectures.}

Warmest regards from Marie.

• 19. Wednesday, November 21, 1923.
• 20. Refers to the ongoing expansion of the living quarters for Rudolf and Marie Steiner at Landhausstrasse 70.
• 21. Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth (1893-1963), member since January 1920, resident in Dornach since 1921. 1922-1923 on the inner working committee at the Goetheanum, since Christmas 1923 on the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society as secretary and treasurer, leader of the natural science section.
• 22. Ela Dziubaniuk (d. 1944), painter trained in Lviv, member since September 1911. Came to Dornach in 1914/15 and worked on painting the Little Dome of the first Goetheanum. She was also one of the eurythmists working under Marie Steiner. She later moved to Paris.
• 23. At that time, there were first attempts to present eurythmy through men. The income should be used to purchase eurythmy clothing.

168

To Marie Steiner in Berlin
Friday, 23 November 1923

Dornach, 23 November 1923

My dear Mouse!

With warm greetings, I would now like to write about what could be explored initially. I will only be able to say something final about the furniture after I have spoken to the higher customs authority in Bern, which will probably happen tomorrow. I still have to wait for a telephone message about this.

First and foremost, therefore, we need the removal certificate to be issued by the Berlin police authorities. This must include a declaration that all the goods being removed are your property and that they are being transferred for your continued personal use due to the relocation of the publishing house to Dornach. It must then list in detail what is being transferred.

The removal firm, which is willing to carry out the move with two eight-meter-long trucks for 2,750 francs, says that the books should be packed in crates that can then be transported in railway wagons. These book crates are not included in the above price. That will be added.

With regard to customs, the books are subject to customs duty under all circumstances. However, the duty is not high: 6 francs per 100 kilograms. That would be fine. But only for the books. However, Swiss law does not recognize the concept of a legal person for these items either, only a physical person. I have now been told by the Basel customs authorities that the bookshelves etc., everything that belongs to the publishing house in the narrower sense, is not initially duty-free because we have been living in Switzerland since 1913. Such things are only duty-free for one year after the physical person has moved. The same then applies to the rest of the furniture.

The question now is what they say in Bern about this matter. I have only gained full clarity here because of the answer to my question as to whether, for example, a joint-stock company, i.e. a legal, non-physical person, has duty-free access to factory equipment (which is the same as our shelves). It does not. It has to pay in any case. So it turns out that claiming the move of the publishing house as such is of no use to us. Because it is a legal entity, not a physical person. So you can only get the shelves etc. and the furniture duty-free if you tie them to our physical person and then claim that we ourselves want to get this furniture only now, when the publishing house is moving, as our belated moving goods. I will only find out from the higher authority in Bern whether we will be granted this.

If customs had to be paid, it would amount to CHF 60 per 100 kilograms for the furniture.

We will have to consider whether it would not be better not to bring the things here, or at least only some of them. Because, as I said, the duty for the books is low. It is only the furniture that makes it expensive. If the books arrive on their own, I am told, the matter will be quite easy, perhaps even without a special import permit.

All the other documents are formalities. I will take care of them and then they will only have to be presented here when the items arrive.

I will write again as soon as I have been to Bern.

It now seems desirable to me that I receive the request for the employees soon; perhaps something can still be done then.

Waller has now occasionally expressed the intention of bringing the information to Berlin in person.

Now, dear Maus, I would just like to say that the trip here went without a hitch. Everything went according to plan. I only wish that your trip to Berlin had also been good. There is a lot of work and worry here.

The entry permits for Zaiser ²⁸ and Büchenbacher ²⁹ are not without difficulty. The same are to provide certificates for the visas in Stuttgart that they can support themselves in Switzerland. Of course they cannot produce them because no one in Stuttgart will issue them. The question now is whether we at the Goetheanum should do so. I can do it, but I would first like to hear from you whether this is what you would like. Of course, something like this cannot be a general rule, and we must avoid people who receive such a certificate from here seeing it as an instruction to demand something here, or even to tell others who then want the same. If you write me just a word that the Goetheanum should give the two the certificate, it will be done immediately. For the Kuxe ³⁰ That is not necessary; they get the certificate from their father. But you can see from this that one enters into an obligation with the certificate. And it must be issued to those entering the country. They must not then see what they have been granted as a right. It is all very laborious now.

I am told that the “skipped performance” on Saturday received ³¹ stormy applause. I am almost afraid now that the matter has lost some of the seriousness of the eurythmy events. But I know nothing about it. I only heard from Vietinghoff ³² and: Käthe ³³the matter belongs.

Now just to say that I sincerely hope that you, my dear mouse, will not be too badly off in Berlin. I would love to be there. But what was discussed in The Hague should stand if the case arises.

With my warmest wishes, Rudolf Steiner

Waller also told me to send her regards and to say that she will come immediately if you need her. The Basel removalist will contact the Berlin one and make all the arrangements with him. The Berlin one will not be paid. You will be informed about the tips. The Berlin removalist will present himself when you write that the move is going ahead.

• 28. Gerlinde Zaiser (1899-1971), member since 1919, one of the first speech formation students of Marie Steiner, writer (dramatic poetry).
• 29. Dr. Hans Büchenbacher (1887-1977), lectured on the threefold social order, 1923 on the committee of the Free Anthroposophical Society, 1931-35 chairman of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany. Later, head of the working group for philosophy and psychology at the Goetheanum.
• 30. Ralph Kux (1903-1965), musician and eurythmist.
  Willi Kux (1902-1976), studied eurythmy with his brother, first in Stuttgart and then in Dornach. After several years, he took over his father's business in Dortmund and worked there for the branch work and the founding of a Waldorf school. 30
• 31. Eurythmy performance in Dornach on November 17, 1923 (in the absence of Rudolf and Marie Steiner), in which French poems were presented.
• 32. Marie (Mischka) v. Vietinghoff-Scheel (ca. 1885-1949), from Russia, member since January 1912, came to Dornach in 1914, where she worked as a gardener and as a guard at the Goetheanum, including as a personal guard for Rudolf and Marie Steiner. Some time after Rudolf Steiner's death, she moved to Ascona.
• 33. Käthe Mitscher (1892-1940), daughter of Gertrud Noss, member since July 1906, worked on the mystery plays in 1910/13, from around 1914 a contributor to the Dornach building, later mainly active in organizing eurythmy.

166

To Rudolf Steiner in Dornach
Saturday, November 24, 1923, from Berlin

Saturday

Dear E., So now the documents ²⁵ are being sent to you. Muck had informed me that Miss Knispel was desperate to come with us, while Mr. Wendel ²⁶ thought he could get ahead better here. Miss Tolch ²⁷ naturally wants to come, but at the same time she wants all kinds of guarantees, and she asks about Swiss tariffs, etc. – It's so awful that she always brings up this note right away.

Councillor Jacoby, to whom the apartment has been allocated, comes to see me immediately. I also received another document stating that if I did not object to the confiscation, the apartment would have to be vacated within three days. That was a warning shot. The others say it is only a formality. So I raised the objection first.

I am surprised that I have not heard a word from you this time, not even by telegram, and I don't know whether I should be worried.

All my love, Marie.

• 25. requests from the employees of the publishing house for residence permits in Switzerland, with enclosed character references etc.
• 26. Karl Wendel (d. 1945), member of the Berlin branch since May 1909.
• 27. Marie Tolch (died 1942), member since October 1910, employee in the publishing house.

169

To Marie Steiner in Berlin
Saturday, 24 November 1923

Dornach, 24 November 1923

My dear Mouse,

I have just returned from Bern, where I was with Waller. The man I asked for information is the one who will also have the final say as the person in charge when it comes to the decision on whether something can be duty-free when it is imported. So we have to assume that the final decision will certainly be as the man, who was very kind, told me today. According to this, none of the furniture, not even the bookcases from the publishing house, can be exempt from duty. Yesterday I wrote that 60 francs would cover 100 kilograms of furniture. The man in Bern added to this otherwise correct information by stating that raw furniture costs 35 francs per 100 kilograms and simple furniture 45 francs per 100 kilograms. The publisher's furniture would certainly be considered as such raw furniture. This now provides a yardstick for how much, or whether anything at all, of the furniture should be transported here.

Waller wanted to claim that she had indeed received the items free of charge. The man said that this was possible shortly after the war, but not anymore. Back then, people were more lenient. Waller now wants me to write to you that the Basel shipping agent, who is sure to do the best job, is taking on the Berlin shipping business: Josef J. Leinkauf Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin NW7, Dorotheenstraße 77. We have nothing to do with this man other than to know that when we receive his name, he is the right one. If, for example, a somewhat cheaper price is offered in Berlin, you have to know that this only applies as far as Basel – that is how the Berlin hauliers calculate – whereas the Basel hauliers calculate the whole way to Dornach. On the whole, the Basel hauliers charge much less.

What you write in your letter that has just arrived [probably No. 164] is very, very dear to me. They are beautiful thoughts that take us back to the beginning of our work. Thank you very much for the letter.

I would love to be there; but it is just not possible; but, I would like to say again, what was discussed in The Hague will probably remain so.

There is much concern here; the International ³⁴ Laboratorien Akt. Ges. has the bad legacy of Futurum in its body; and everything depends on the book that is to be written.³⁵ Our business people – but please, that's a trade secret – are all just miserable.

The picture of the dust and excitement clouds there is “in the style”; hopefully you, my dear mouse, will be able to do your deeds at a distance that is free of dust and excitement.

Olga [Zibell] says that she has emptied the travel bags properly; the horsehair cushions and leather bag have also arrived safely.

Helene Lehmann ³⁶ is still in bed; the influenza has passed; but now there is another problem: pressure on the nerves emanating from the cerebellum due to the fatty tissue above the heart; and I told her at once that she must fast every day until 11. Later, the fast must also be extended to the quality of the food. I hope she will be able to work in 2-3 weeks.

A telegram from Rihouet has just been delivered; ³⁷ I read: presentation successful, full house, send feelings of gratitude and devotion.

Now only warmest greetings from Rudolf Steiner.

Waller sends her regards, “she doesn't know anything more now,” she says.

• 34. The later Weleda AG. Emerged from Futurum AG, for more details see GA 260a, page 723f, and “Beiträge...” issue 118/19, 1997.
• 35. Rudolf Steiner/lta Wegman, “Foundations for an expansion of the art of healing according to spiritual scientific knowledge” (1925), GA 27.
• 36. (1886-1953), employed in the household of Marie v. Sivers, first in Berlin and from 1914 in Dornach, member since 1907, sister of Bertha Lehmann (Mrs. Reebstein from 1916), who worked in the secretariat.
• 37. Performance by the Dornach Eurythmy Group in Paris on November 23, 1923.
  Simonne Rihouet (1892-1982), later Madame Coroze, has been a member in Paris since September 1913. She founded the Paris Eurythmy School and the journal Science spirituelle in 1921.

170

To Marie Steiner in Berlin
Sunday, 25 November 1923

Dornach, 25 Nov. 1923

My dear Mouse,

Thanks for the letters. The last one [no. 165] was brought by Miss Vreede yesterday. Hopefully you will soon be out of the woods of the processing. By now you will also have received my letters. Yesterday evening the eurythmy players arrived and reported successes similar to those in the telegram I wrote about.

Now there is still some uncertainty about the Christmas play performance in Schaffhausen. I thought that it had all been canceled. But now Käthe [Mitscher] tells me that Gnädinger ³⁸ now wants to have a performance scheduled for December 16 in Schaffhausen. Please write and tell me whether I should prepare some rehearsals for the Christmas play before you come. I will take care of the performance you write about for next Sunday.

Now for something rather unpleasant. Two letters have just arrived from Del Monte, one to you, one to Waller. They say that you are being asked to immediately provide a further 20,000 francs for the Eurythmeum in Stuttgart; Waller is being asked to provide 12,000 francs for her house. Waller is furious, has categorically declared that she will not do so and has telegraphed that she will not continue to run her building under such circumstances. Today she first went to Winterthur to visit her sister. I don't know if she will go to Stuttgart tomorrow. She is afraid because Del Monte and Schmid ³⁹ Incidentally, the people have already exceeded the funds provided, and Stammer ⁴⁰in your and Waller's name.

I find it all outrageous. As I said at the beginning of the construction, Schmid's calculations were not worth a thing. When you come to Stuttgart, the “Stuttgart system” will try to make clear to you ⁴¹ that it must be so because in 1914 a liter of milk cost 18 pfennigs and now it costs 32 gold pfennigs ⁴² But that is all nonsense; and all the planning that is done there is just wishy-washy.

Spiller ⁴³ has asked about the following: Goldacker wants to recite her poems somewhere in Zurich and Spiller – I don't know if anyone else – wants to accompany her with eurythmy. She even says that she has already practised doing this. I told her that I would have to discuss it with you first. But the stuff is supposed to start as early as Sunday. If you don't have anything particular against it, I think you should let Spiller do what she wants. But I won't say anything to her until I hear from you.

I have many concerns here. I have to come to terms with the decision these days regarding the extent to which the Goetheanum should be rebuilt, and that is difficult because it is impossible to say how the funds will be. Everything is quite difficult. I would also like to be there in Berlin. Now we will see what you write about the next few days.

With all my heart, Rudolf Steiner

• 38. Franz Gnädinger (1894-1971), active as a priest of the Christian Community in Switzerland from 1928.
• 39. Dr. Carl Schmid (d. 1931), married to Hilda Curtius, member since October 1907, architect of the first Stuttgart Society House, Landhausstr. 70, and from 1911-1914 the first architect of the Munich-Dornach building project.
• 40. Hans Heinrich Carl Stammer (1886-1956), head of the banking house H. Stammer & Co., Stuttgart, which was associated with the “Kommende Tag AG” from 1922-1924
• 41. Term used by Rudolf Steiner for the leading members in Stuttgart.
• 42. The gold mark was a unit of account during the period of hyperinflation in Germany, equivalent to the pre-war mark, defined as 2790th part of a kilogram of fine gold, i.e. 100 GM = 35.8423 g fine gold.
• 43. Agnes Spiller, eurythmist in Dornach. Goldacker: Dagmar v. Goldacker, member of the Berlin branch since February 1911.

171

To Rudolf Steiner in Dornach
Monday, November 26, 1923, from Berlin

Monday night, November 23rd,

Dear E., It is actually very terrible, all that you say about the customs tariffs; for they can hardly be raised. The transportation costs alone are unbelievably high. We have around 90,000 books and 18,000 cycles and 19,000 individual lectures. How are we to pack all that into boxes? I think the books will almost fill two moving vans; if we had been able to put the shelves in as well, the load would have been less than just the books. The shipping agent probably didn't realize there were so many books. He won't be able to find that many boxes. Wachsmuth was also quite surprised by the quantity. He had imagined there would be 15,000 books. He will now tell you what he thinks about the matter, and thinks he can explain to the shipping agent that the books be put directly into a car that will not be reloaded but transported directly. He also cannot imagine that you pay customs duty for the books, but you will know better than that. Even with such a high duty, we will still be better off than if we continue to pay taxes here. We just have to make sure that we leave as quickly as possible. But if we also have to pay 3,000 francs for the furniture (because that's how much it will cost in tips) and the same or more in customs duties, then it's probably nonsense. That's what you seem to think, since you use the phrase: “If you're supposed to bring any of the furniture here at all.” It's probably better not to.

We could probably sell some of it to members. But it is just as likely that they will want to pay as little as possible. Today we have already negotiated with Sommerfeld ⁴⁴, who is the first person we have approached and probably the only one who would pay in foreign currency. He said that he is just about to set up his office. What he would like to take are your furniture; he has taken a shine to your beautiful big cupboard, of course. He would like the big table with 8 to 10 chairs, the Sönnecken desk from the purple room together with the roll-fronted cupboard. But he found the large beautiful shelf too big and thought that it could perhaps be arranged differently. That's my nut to crack now. I don't like the fact that he doesn't understand that he doesn't have to touch it: something you designed; the proportions are just so beautiful. — Now I'm also thinking about whether we should put them in the adjoining room instead of selling them? ⁴⁵ We have the skylight hall there; it was used for eurythmy courses. The people downstairs often complained; now they want to take legal action. It should no longer be possible to practice there. The podium, on the other hand, should dampen the sound enough so that people below it do not complain. But Berliners can only take evening courses because of their jobs. And there are always lectures in the evening. But since only Meyer's lectures fill the large hall, I suggested holding the other lectures in the Oberlichtsaal, setting it up for the purpose and having the courses on stage. Walther grumbled a bit about having to set up the stove there: it would be so cold that people couldn't be expected to sit there; the stove would be ruined and there would be no money to fix it. So I suggested using the money that the speech course would bring in. There is never any money in the till, because all the money serves Meyer's purposes. But his lectures on the theory of colors are good and very well attended. Posters were put up and flyers distributed. The hall is sold out twice, on Saturday and Thursday. I was there on Saturday. He has been provided with equipment, he has a command of his subject and is also witty when he compares Goethe's teaching with that of Newton. We are just waiting to see when he will come to you in this context.

There is a return of the same. Almost 21 years ago (in March 1903), you presented Goethe's color theory to me in Schlachtensee ⁴⁶ and demonstrated blue and yellow with a candle. Now I see blue and yellow projected onto the screen in the large Steiner Hall and I hear Meyer. ⁴⁷ Twenty-three years ago, I came to Berlin to study elocution and to cure my throat. Now I am ending my Berlin period with a speech course for 35 young people, and every day I have to turn some people away. Among others, the doctor sends me one with a sick throat to cure; and a singer who is not a member wanted to have lessons, etc. It was not even announced, because there were so many participants right away.

Wachsmuth is leaving tomorrow and will report his impressions. I have no choice but to wait here. I still don't know what is going to happen. And I am convinced that it will be cheaper to order the shelves in Dornach than to transport furniture. And apart from shelves, we only need a few beds, which could perhaps be added to the books in folded form. On the other hand, I could use a few things for the house in Stuttgart. There was also a blow from Kolb: an exorbitant price increase that will be difficult to bear. Should I sell the blue furniture or put it in the Oberlichtsaal, which would then also have to be painted blue? (Which would be good, because the walls are terribly stained and worn out there.) What

The following are under consideration: 1. the large, beautiful shelf, 2. the large, beautiful cupboard, 3. the large table, 4. a small table cupboard, 5. a Sönnecken desk, 6. perhaps your blue, solid wardrobe and 7. chairs.

But these last items could possibly go to Stuttgart.

Tuesday

Today I already mentioned to Selling that I am thinking of the branch office for the blue furniture. He seems to have thought of the library in the meantime, because both Sommerfeld and he would have come to the conclusion that the shelf should not be changed. Sommerfeld would also have to take his wife into consideration when making a purchase. Wachsmuth has today enquired about the terms for a transport to Stuttgart. At least it would be much cheaper. I can already see that I will have to be here even longer to get the things in the right order. After Stuttgart, it would also be possible to ship the countless packages of letters and receipts that are in the lower rooms of your large shelf. But it would be terrible to have to pay customs duty on them. I can't look through them anyway. So it will have to go over? Wachsmuth says he might come to pick me up. Perhaps it would be good to have the Austrian actor stand in for him. But the Herodesspiel is much later. Did anything come of Neuhausen [near Schaffhausen] on December 16th with the plays? I would then have to give the eurythmy programs in broad strokes from here to begin with. The worst part is missing so many lectures – Michael is punishing me justly.

Zaiser and Büchenbacher will probably have to do without us. We can hardly take on such obligations now.

Waller is lucky not to have come here. I send her my warmest greetings. Later on we can see whether it would be better for Wachsmuth to come, who could supervise the workers, or for her or I to travel with Walther's, who want to go to Dornach on December 15th, and possibly also go earlier via Stuttgart.

Now you must be very tired from the long letter.

Much love and warm greetings from Marie.

Would the Stinde and Kalkreuth pictures be subject to even higher customs duties and would they go better to Stuttgart?

• 44. Lothar Sommerfeld, in Berlin.
• 45. From 1917, the Berlin branch was located at Potsdamerstrasse 98; previously at Geisbergstrasse 2. - Cf. note on no. 65.
• 46. notes in the hand of Marie Steiner are reproduced in the volume “Farbenerkenntnis”, GA 291a, $. 53ff.
• 47. Dr. Rudolf Meyer (1877-1947), a member of the Berlin branch since 1908, appointed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919 as deputy head of the same. At the first Goetheanum School of Spiritual Science course in the fall of 1920, he gave three lectures on the philosopher Herbart. In 1925, he withdrew completely from his activities in the Society. In 1946, he founded the “Studienhaus Hammerberg” in Uchte and continued to work there actively until his death.

174

To Marie Steiner in Berlin
Saturday, December 1, 1923

Dornach, December 1, 1923 My dear Mouse!

Dr. Wachsmuth has now finally arrived here and brought your letter as well as the news to be conveyed verbally. I can imagine that you were impatiently waiting for this reply. But I was waiting for your news from hour to hour. Only yesterday a letter arrived from Mücke that arrived earlier than the one brought by Wachsmuth in person.

Now, as for what Wachsmuth meant,⁴⁸ that by asserting that we could not have accommodated the removal furniture here before: That won't do. I wrote to you that I went to Bern to see the man who has to issue the permit himself. He told me that he could only judge the matter according to the current law and there is nothing else to be done but to pay the customs duty. The man was exceptionally kind. Waller, who was sitting there, presented her moving method, which is the same as the one Wachsmuth wants to apply. The man said: a few years after the war we were able to do such things; now they are no longer possible. I can only tell you: we have tried everything, and nothing else can come of it than what I have written.

So I now have the following picture in my mind. According to your letter and what Wachsmuth said, the blue furniture that I designed is being sold. If they happen to be placed in anthroposophical rooms, that is quite all right. These pieces of furniture are outwardly beautiful and good; inwardly they are made so badly that it is certainly not worth bringing them to Dornach. Wachsmuth says they will be set up in Berlin. I fully agree with that.

The books have reached the exorbitant number of 127,000. Naturally, they can only be packed in moving vans. However, due to their weight, only half of the moving vans can be packed with them. Of course, customs duties have to be paid for this. If it is now too expensive for you, my dear mouse, to bring furniture here, these costs can be added to the books. The best person to determine how all of this should be packed is the shipping agent. It will also be necessary to bear in mind that some bulky items, namely those going to Stuttgart, that are not heavy, are better sent as piece goods. In this case, the weight is calculated, not the volume. Whatever seems right to you: whether you send one thing to Stuttgart and the other here; I agree with it. The duty on books is not high; as for the rest, one pays it for everything one would like to have here. And I believe, my dear Maus, that you should just take with you what you would like to have here. The shelves could be folded up and perhaps taken with you.

The relocation of the eurythmy exercises from the Oberlichtsaal to the lecture room, as you mention, seems to me to be the best solution.

Yes, that's how it is: as you write in “The Return of the Same”. Except that I only had two candles and Meyer needed a projector, etc.

It is sad that you have so much to do in Berlin for so long. I would love to go and help you if possible.

Now I will tell the shipping agent here to instruct his agent in Berlin to come to you. I hope that everything will happen at the right time.

Now for one thing, to which I would like to have your answer right away. We are expecting a fantastic number of people here for Christmas. And it seems almost impossible to accommodate everyone. I would now ask you whether you would allow female guests to use the new eurythmy room in the Brodbeck House. ⁴⁹ I would not have thought of this if it had not been for an unprecedented exceptional case. And I certainly do not want people who want to come to be turned away. Because I place the last hopes for society, so to speak, on the Christmas gathering. And it should not be just Meyer who has the auditorium.

Now I have to go to the dress rehearsal of the performance you ordered for tomorrow. All the young men will perform the pieces you wrote to me [in no. 165]. The performance will be given in part by the ladies and in part by the young men.

I will now start preparing the Christmas plays. The performance in Schaffhausen will then be on December 16. I have one more request: Bring me my original doctoral diploma in person. It differs from the copies that Wachsmuth brought, in that it bears a real stamp and real signatures. It will be in the red scroll. You can easily distinguish it by this information. In these matters, you always get an original and then copies. Wachsmuth didn't know that, even though he has two doctorates.

I submitted the application for the four employees personally. Now we want to wait and see what happens. Waller is currently in Stuttgart. She wants to get rid of the house there, for which she doesn't want to give any more money under any circumstances. I have already written to you [no. 170] that I find this whole thing outrageous. All the excuses that the gentlemen of the “Stuttgart system” make so abundantly are, of course, the excuses that one always has there. The fact is that it was foolish to make a calculation like the one Schmid made with the knowledge of the others. Added to this is the disgusting arrogance that these gentlemen show when you smile in their faces about their “commercial expertise” in a justified manner. Yesterday Waller called me after her arrival in Stuttgart to ask when you were coming. She might have wanted to wait for you in Stuttgart.” She left for the unknown, because with your letter written at the right time, Wachsmuth was “roaming around” the world.

There is now a lot to do and many concerns. As I hear from Flossy ⁵⁰, on top of everything else, tomorrow I will have to visit the once again unsteady Mrs. Leinhas ⁵¹ wants to visit. That could still be a clean story!

Once again: it is sad that you have to toil in Berlin for so long. If you would like to send me the provisional programs for the Christmas performances, I will prepare everything.

I look forward to seeing you. I think I have written everything necessary and just add the warmest greetings.

Rudolf Steiner

* She won't be able to because of the Christmas play rehearsals. If she is to pick you up, she would have to drive there again.

The Stinde and Kalckreuth pictures would probably be better sent to Stuttgart than here.

• 48. In a letter from Berlin to Rudolf Steiner dated November 25, 1923.
• 49. Brodbeck House was purchased from Heinrich Brodbeck in May 1921 and expanded in 1923 to include the northern extension (Eurythmeum). The old part was intended as a residence for Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner, but for the time being it housed eurythmists. Due to delays in the renovation, illness and the death of Rudolf Steiner, the planned move did not take place during his lifetime. Marie Steiner only moved from Haus Hansi to Haus Brodbeck in 1936 – after the east wing was built in 1935 – and has since been called Rudolf Steiner-Halde.
• 50. Flossy von Sonklar (1893-1991), member since May 1909, eurythmist in Dornach, second wife of Emil Leinhas since 1923/24.
• 51. Olga Leinhas, née Svärdström (1883-1980), member in Hamburg since December 1909, one of the four Svärdström sisters from Sweden who were known as singers at the beginning of the 20th century. In December 1922, they also sang at the Goetheanum. She met Rudolf Steiner in 1908 in Hamburg, where her oldest sister was married to Louis Werbeck.

175

To Rudolf Steiner in Dornach
Monday, December 3, 1923

Berlin, Dec. 3, 1923

Dear E., I would not have expected this of Wachsmuth, that he would dawdle around the world with a hasty letter to you. It should have been in your hands by Thursday evening. Well, in the meantime I have thoroughly experienced and borne the heavy concerns of the Berlin branch. There was a very strange meeting of the Berlin regional association here. This was supposed to be a very private Meyer association, which had been summoned by Meyer before the delegates' meeting in Stuttgart, partly in vain, so it arrived a day early, and then met with Meyer towards the end of the delegates' meeting. By some coincidence, they had heard something about it, and shop stewards in Stuttgart and Berlin decided to go there as well, but were turned away by Meyer because it was something that was based on his personal work. However, they forced their way in. Then, about two weeks ago, Walther Wind heard about the story (apparently, I don't know for sure) through some people in Spremberg, a small town that he had also visited: on December 1 and 2, there would be a meeting of the regional association in Berlin, which was supposed to expand to Hamburg, Hannover, Breslau, Dresden, Leipzig. He is annoyed because he also visits the neighboring towns, and asks Münch.⁵² Münch knows nothing about this and demands to be informed, since he is the deputy chairman; he is very annoyed. This is the situation I find here. It is not at all clear what the future will bring. Unger, Werbeck and ⁵³ Keyserlingk. Unger will give a branch lecture on November 30th. He has managed to schedule a business trip to coincide with the conference; all the anti-Meyerians are very relieved. But no one understands why Meyer, who is furious and has been abusing Unger, has officially invited him, while Münch knows nothing about the whole thing. (He seems to have gotten into some kind of trouble once, and apparently couldn't talk his way out of it in Stuttgart). Meanwhile, I experience the misery of Sam [Samweber].⁵⁴ Meyer and Gantenbein ⁵⁵ treated her terribly; she carried the meditation you received to Berlin like a sacred object, without closing an eye at night; ⁵⁶ She wanted to share it with a few words of explanation at a specially prepared, solemn moment. Meyer did not allow it, wanted to do it himself; there was an exchange of words, an argument and a flood of tears. Before that, she had asked Münch and me whether we thought she was allowed to do this, and we had said yes. Now I advised her to let the matter rest for the time being. But it made a deeply sad impression on me. Some other dreadful conditions that had arisen in the branch life had the same effect. And the Waldherr story was that after the night meeting in Stuttgart, Meyer here the Waldherr had the last word by reading a letter from her in which she horribly insulted the board, and forbade others who wanted to speak and bring up “material” from saying anything. So she had the last word and sits in all meetings, sure of victory. From a conversation with Räther, ⁵⁷ who visited me to ask if the gentlemen of the board could come to me, and in which we very gently groped our way towards some sincerity, I gathered how burdened and depressed he was. Mr. Rath ⁵⁸(Youth Council), who in a requested conversation first touched on a few other points, then spoke most insightfully about the concerns that the impossible conditions in the “old” ; spoke very wisely and insightfully, and one could not but agree with his opinion. Then Mr. Münch came. I actually had yet to get to know him. When we were finished after 2½ hours, we had understood and agreed on some points. He is, of course, a close friend of Meyer's, but he confronts him and sees through him three quarters of the time. Then the four of them set to work: Meyer, Gantenbein, Räther, Münch. It began in Meyer's usual way, as if he were only concerned about eurythmy, then he turned to his usual I-I-I ranting and his quirk of presenting himself as persecuted. Only he took up the thread at such a stupid point: Stuttgart had given him a telling-off when he wanted money for his equipment, so I was able to remind him of all the things that had been done for him, what a ready-made, warm nest he had settled into, and that he couldn't possibly demand that everything revolve around him, Berlin and everything else: after all, there was a Waldorf school that was still worth keeping. He then no longer knew which way to turn, and after attempting a touching speech, he retreated. Then he suddenly appeared almost honest, admitting mistakes, and you couldn't get any closer to him. But his position was still shaken. (It lasted three hours). That same evening Unger gave an excellent lecture, warm-hearted, profound and imbued with such loyalty, repeatedly pointing out what Steiner had given to the world, that he had everyone on his side except the angry Meyerians. The conference was at 10 o'clock the next morning, several had canceled, including Keyserlingk. The following were present: four members from Spremberg, one member from Magdeburg – these were the new ones; also Mund ⁵⁹ (Leipzig), Miss Wagner ⁶⁰ (Quedlinburg), Mrs. Petersen (Hannover). That's it for the outsiders. Otherwise: Meyer and his secretary, Miss Werner, Walther, Selling, Mücke, me, Unger. Münch and Räther unfortunately arrived a little late. This large group was now sitting in the front rows of the large, cold hall, facing away from me. Meyer opened the conference; it was clear that he had lost the booklet. The introductory false words, which he referred to Dr. Steiner, immediately turned around; he continued: “So you see, we have to support his work and that is why we have come together. Perhaps, Dr. Unger, you have something to say about this?” Dr. Unger smiled a little: “Well, if it is up to me to determine the course of the negotiations, I would like to suggest a few points: lecturing, Waldorf school, rallies, eurythmy, opponents, etc.” Meyer had lost his lead right away. Eurythmy was very close to the hearts of the good people of Spremberg, and once it became clear that the Waldorf School needed to be supported first and foremost, eurythmy seemed to have become the main reason for this conference. The Sprembergers asked whether the regional association could employ a teacher to travel to the small towns in turn. Suddenly Meyer came out of his stupor: “So there we are, the regional association needs a fund.” With that he jumped up. “So what do we do to set up a fund?” I put my veto on that. The regional association does not need to be established in order to establish a fund for eurythmy. It would continue to work as it has been working. Poor Meyer gave up. His secretary went out and said to Drescher: ⁶¹ “Nothing will come of it.”

The aim, of course, is to raise funds for Meyer and his lecture tours or his research in the scientific field; because the Berliners can hardly afford it anymore: apart from his allowance and the purchase of the Goethe library and the equipment, he needs, or so I am told, 100 gold marks a week to maintain the equipment. That seems so outrageous to me that I assume there must be some kind of accounting error, as often happens.

The poor people of Spremberg; they seemed to have no real idea why they had been summoned from Spremberg to Berlin. The gentleman from Magdeburg and, for a while, Mrs. Petersen, seemed to assume that Meyer had to be protected from some dark forces, but didn't know how. Meyer dismissed the question of opponents by saying that Werbeck would come in the evening to give a private lecture on Leisegang at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. ⁶² They parted.

That evening was Meyer's public lecture. I stayed in the rooms because I had examined the eurythmists the day before and thought that a student performance could be risked. I quickly announced it for 5 o'clock on Sunday because nothing at all was scheduled for the afternoon, despite the conference, and we also thought that many people from out of town would come.

We had our rehearsal between 3 and 7. Werbeck came soon after. “I don't really understand why I'm not giving a public lecture,” he said. Then Meyer's lecture was very well attended; it was not nearly as skillful as the first time; it repeated itself a lot, turned around; it emphasized the experimentation too much. Since he had already noticed some of the indignation of some members, he mentioned, in passing, Kürschner's edition ⁶³ and Rudolf Steiner.

Sunday morning: Werbeck's lecture. About fifty members. Not even the religious ones with their followers ⁶⁴ could have been there, because it was Sunday morning; many members didn't know about it. I was sitting next to Gantenbein. It lasted a bit long, because Werbeck read some of his book. I had set the dress rehearsal at 12 o'clock. Gantenbein asked: “Should I show Werbeck the clock?” — “No, let him finish.” The lecture was excellent. Gantenbein says obligingly, but wrongly, because he had heard me say a few words to Mücke about the poor announcement of the lecture, something like, “I'll make sure everyone leaves quickly...” “Leave it,” I said, “it's all the same to me. But it is outrageous that so few people were able to hear such a lecture.” Meanwhile, Meyer addressed the front rows: “At 5 o'clock we will have a eurythmy performance, which unfortunately I won't be able to attend. Please excuse me because I will be having a meeting with scientists that has been scheduled for a long time.” I couldn't help but say, “Gladly,” but that was for Gantenbein's special benefit.

The eurythmy performance was quite nice and some of the things that followed. Later I took Werbeck for tea in Sam's [Samwebers] room. He spoke so radically about Meyer that it culminated in the sentences: “If an enemy were to make it his business to blow up a large branch in our society, he would put Meyer in it as chairman.” But he spoke very calmly on the basis of his experience. Münch came along later. Because I had spoken briefly before about my difficult situation, he advised him to make it clear to Meyer that he would come off best as a lecturer, but that he should resign the chair for his own good. That morning I had asked Münch if he would be willing to be the first chairman, with Räther as the second, in case Meyer realized that he should resign. In that case, I would have telegraphed: “On the basis of the circumstances here, may I suggest to Meyer that he cede the chairmanship to Münch?” At first, Münch was still afraid of the consequences that would befall him; then he was in favor of us having another board meeting like the previous three-hour one (Friday from 12:00 to 3:00), in which I would tell him everything and he would second me. He recoiled at Werbeck's suggestion; he wanted me to be there.

At 8 o'clock Unger's second lecture, very good, always tying in with you and the October-November lectures in Dornach.⁶⁵ It got warm in the hall. And when Unger had finished, Rath stood up and gave a very heartfelt and moving speech of thanks, explaining that if the youth could be had like this, it would be by speaking to them in this way. Whereupon the gentleman from Spremberg also thanked everyone for what the guests would take with them; yesterday it hadn't looked quite right; but today the morning lecture had been such that a warm sense of community had spread and passed to the others and now in the evening; Unger had spoken wonderfully. Whereupon Münch closed the meeting emotionally and said how moved he had been by Rath's words. Someone had mentioned the beautiful Advent candle that had been lit. But really, everything was genuine, and nothing was staged, and nothing was exaggerated. But it was as if a burden had been lifted and a hope had been awakened. Some of the older members went out and said to Mücke: “You see, things can get warm again, as long as Meyer isn't there.

Meyer was indeed absent, and everyone realized that only through this fortunate circumstance could the conference, which had begun so miserably, come to a harmonious conclusion.

He made an incredible fool of himself; only a few people experienced it in the morning, and later he stayed away. This matter with the private association has failed him completely.

Büttner ⁶⁶ Then Münch and he came to see me in Sams room. We had discussed with Münch his possible involvement in the board. He said he would only do it if Dr. and Mrs. Dr. wanted him to. I suggested to Münch that I would take an even softer approach: that I would tell Meyer that I would report to Dr. Meyer in detail about my impressions here, and that he could do the same.

At home, Mücke told me that the morning after Werbeck's lecture, she had spoken to Miss Winkler had spoken indignantly about the impossible direction, and Winkler had raged angrily about Unger's lecture from the previous evening; to link to Dr. St. at every moment would be boring, –- one is now accustomed to different things here, and incidentally Meyer would withdraw from the chairmanship at Easter and take up his position again. “Then you can choose someone else!” In response to this, I ask myself: should we talk to Meyer at all, or wait for him to leave on his own? Münch also told me last that Meyer would have to take up his position again, because after Easter the money would no longer be available.

I assume that Räther withdrew at the same time as hopes for the association were so thoroughly dashed.

There was also an episode with Waldherr on Sunday. She caught me off guard when she entered my room and demanded to speak, which I refused.

I am sorry that I wrote such a book to you; it <501> also <502> took me half a day, because my hand is so easily paralyzed. But I really had serious concerns. The matter seemed so dishonest and so dangerous and so sad and hopeless to me. But now you are the chairman and so I could only appeal to Meyer's sense of morality. He is so thick-skinned. Since I will have to stay here for more than a week, perhaps you could write me your opinion by express letter. Or maybe even, if I did the right thing, you could telegraph: right. That way I would know that I can continue to be honest, even at the risk of him resigning. Of course, he hates me now like the devil.

The matter of the Brodbeck house ⁶⁷ is quite difficult. Actually, I wanted to have the ladies moved out by then and the rooms painted, because if the furniture vans with the books are standing in front of the Hansi house ⁶⁸, and we are still inside, what should we do? Do you have a room for it?

The new hall, on the other hand, would be absolutely necessary for rehearsals, and how it will be dirtied by a mass accommodation. Nobody can guarantee that.

But the worst thing is the move, and if the publishing house does not move before Christmas, we will have such enormous tax burdens for further months!

Of course I don't want to put anything in your way. But we are the ones who get the short end of the stick again. And we can't handle the taxes anymore. I see it every day. Today just the health insurance stamps for one month: 42 trillion.

And now there is one more thing on which I need your opinion: Mr. Rath and Mr. Schmidt ⁶⁹ (from Karlsruhe, but has been running the business – a bookshop and antiquarian bookshop – for six months since the death of Mr. Rath) came with a bouquet of flowers and a substantial sum for the now completed speaking course. Both nice young people. They always present their “points” in a beautifully deliberate order. The most important came last. - Whether we could leave them book stocks for sale in Germany.⁷⁰ They asked how we intended to sell books in Germany. It would attract a certain amount of attention, since the father had a very good name, and would perhaps work well. Mücke had chosen a Ms. Hoffmann, who had already worked in publishing, to sell books. She did not respond. Kinkel says she sells a lot. Mannheim and Hamburg are doing well. The rest, she says herself, has slowed down because she can only send cash on delivery. Otherwise she gets devalued money.

Your opinion would be very important to me; if it's a flat no, just say “Books no” in the telegram. If you think we should leave a van-full here, please write and tell me how you would go about such a thing. The bookshop is in Wilmersdorf.

I have resigned myself to being here for a long time. You can't just abandon a branch like Berlin to disintegration. And it's good to have worked with the youth. Especially here, a lot of human contact develops, simply because you're there longer. Drescher is a very sensible, dear girl. An older one would hardly be so reasonable. But now and then you have to help so that they are not suppressed as a quantitative factor.

If you are rehearsing the Christmas plays, they could also be performed for the public in Dornach during Advent. It is the right time for it, and we can no longer do well without regular income. It's a shame that I can't be there for the dress rehearsal, where you will be cheering on the men. When the ladies ask you for eurythmy forms, I will be very grateful if you give them.

All my warmest regards, Marie

• 52. Martin Münch (1883-1960), bank official, writer, member in Berlin since 1910. Appointed by Rudolf Steiner as head of the Berlin branch in 1923.
• 53. Louis Michael Julius Werbeck (1879-1928), member since September 1910, head of the Hamburg Pythagorean branch from 1917, on the board of the German national society in 1923. In 1924, he dealt with his opponents in two books: 'Die christlichen Gegner Rudolf Steiners durch sich selbst widerlegt' and 'Die wissenschaftlichen Gegner Rudolf Steiners durch sich selbst widerlegt'.
• 54. Anna Samweber (1884-1969), from Munich. Worked as a governess in Russia from 1902-1914. 1914/15 encounter with anthroposophy in Munich. Soon after, she worked in the secretariat and as a domestic servant for Rudolf and Marie Steiner in Berlin.
• 55. Bernhard Gantenbein (1874-1962), merchant and painter, joined the Berlin branch in October 1910. He was later invited by Rudolf Steiner to join his board.
• 56. It is the meditation “To Our Friends in Berlin”, printed in “Mantrische Sprüche”, GA 268, which Anna Samweber received at her request from Rudolf Steiner during her stay in Dornach in October/November 1923.
• 57. Hans Raether (d. 1962), member in Berlin since October 1908.
• 58. Wilhelm Rath (1897-1973), member since June 1920, from 1923 on the committee of the Free Anthroposophical Society in Germany. From 1924 to 1927 he took care of the distribution of the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Press in Germany.
• 59. , a member from Leipzig.
• 60. The two sisters Ellida and Martha Wagner from Quedlinburg had become members of the Hannover branch in 1909 and 1910 respectively.
• 61. Ursula Drescher (d. 1973), member since June 1921 in Berlin, later eurythmy therapist.
• 62. Dr. Hans Leisegang (1890-1951), philosopher, opponent of anthroposophy.
• 63. of Goethe's scientific writings by Rudolf Steiner.
• 64. Refers to the movement for religious renewal, the “Christian community”.
• 65. “Man as the harmony of the creating, forming and shaping world word”, GA 230.
• 66. Dr. Carl Büttner, a lawyer in Berlin.
• 67. See note on no. 174.
• 68. House or Villa Hansi, since Easter 1914 home of Rudolf and Marie Steiner.
• 69. Helmuth Schmidt, bookseller.
• 70. The delivery for the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House was carried out from spring 1924 by the Rath bookshop in Berlin.

176

Telegram from Dornachbrugg to Marie Steiner
Postmark: Berlin W30 4.12.23 (Tuesday)

Furniture van carries a maximum of 10,000 kilos. Haulier in Basel says if books are too heavy for this, pack them in parcels, only drive the van to Berlin station and pack railway carriages. Haulier Leinkauf in Berlin orders Motzstraße to come and see him. Greetings, Steiner.